Unless otherwise indicated, the materials described in the background section are not prior art to the claims in the present application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In the field of data transmission, one method of efficiently transporting data is through the use of fiber optics. Digital data is propagated through a fiber optic cable using light emitting diodes or lasers. Light signals allow for extremely high transmission rates and very high bandwidth capabilities. Light signals are also resistant to electromagnetic interference that would otherwise interfere with electrical signals. Light signals are more secure because they do not allow portions of the signal to escape from the fiber optic cable as can occur with electrical signals in wire-based systems. Light also can be conducted over greater distances without the signal loss typically associated with electrical signals on copper wire.
It is often desirable in the networking context to maximize the amount of data that can be propagated through the network. It is also desirable for economic reasons to minimize the hardware used to create the network infrastructure. To accomplish both of these objectives, multiplexing schemes are used to transmit multiple signals along a single physical path such as an optical fiber. One method of multiplexing is wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). In fiber-optic systems, WDM includes transmitting various individual signals along a single fiber, with each signal being used to transmit a different light wavelength or channel.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.